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Gokak varadi and Dr. Rajkumar
Gokak varadi and Dr. Rajkumar
The “Gokak report” popularly known as “Gokak varadi” was about making Kannada a compulsary language for primary education. Considering that the language is spoken by a majority of people in Karnataka, the Gokak movement’s goal was to give Kannada the same basic right already enjoyed by other official languages in their respective states of India. When the Kannada literary experts and students started this movement there was a popular positive response from the common man in Karnataka. It gained momentum when Rajkumar was asked to lead the movement. He became actively involved in the movement and soon became the force behind the Gokak movement that was designed to bring Kannada to the forefront. He took a rally from Belgaum to Bangalore and gave speeches about the importance of Kannada. The government responded positively and Kannada was to become a compulsary language of education in Karnataka. Ensuring respect and dignity for Kannada language and Kannada culture were the corner stones of his life.
When he played activist
The historic Gokak movement saw Rajkumar take an activist’s stand in public life. “I am ready for any sacrifice for the sake of Kannada land and language,” he declared, and stood by his words too.
To trace the time-line: It is nearly 25 years since the Gokak movement. Rajkumar himself had recently crossed 50 years in cinema. The man and the movement are both a memory now.
Kannada Sahitya Parishat President Prof Chandrashekar Patil who was alongside Rajkumar during the Gokak movement told Deccan Herald that the movement took the proportion of a ‘people’s movement’ only after Rajkumar joined in. He explained thus:
On April 2, 1982, the Jail Bharo andolan had begun under the leadership of senior litterateur Shambha Joshi. Writers like Kuvempu, Masti Venkatesh Iyengar, Dr. Shivaram Karanth were asked to join in but they refused. Rajkumar was in Madras then; we made an appeal to him through the media. His ready response in support appeared in the newspapers the very next day. His statement from Madras said that he would give up his all for the sake of Kannada and would fight for it no matter what form the fight might take. It was a verbal stroke that absorbed him into the cause entirely. Later on, he travelled all over the State with the other leaders enlisting support for the movement.
Sources:
http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/apr132006/state1930422006412.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr. _Rajkumar
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9 comments for “Gokak varadi and Dr. Rajkumar”
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its verry good plz make some more details thank you sir
Thanks for the interesting article, I love this site
gokakvardi wassupported by many people but raj was the sun there has he truely believed he was the son of this soil
I like tis article because when Dr.Raj passed away,I saw in news channels about the gokak movement…. that onwards I decided to collect more details…
I look forward to know more details. Tnank you for publishing this article.
No words to say by reading this article about Dr.Raj Kumar about Gokak Varadi
The article on Dr.Rajkumar’s role in Gokak Movement for primacy of Kannada language in Primary Schools is simple and appealing. I had the opportunity of seeing him near Sampige theatre during the Vijayotsava for getting the Gokak Report acceptable to the then State Government.
Every actor to become like ANNAVRU.fight for kannada our mother language.
nice article.But in my family,dad is a great fan of Appaji,he knew every information about yhe legendry actor.Hence we too followed in every walk of our life we take example like dad.
Long back only i get the information about gokak Chaluvali.Pateel Puttappavaru Rajravarannu request maadiddu,he agreed,and whole Film land jumped to Chaluvali.And also sudha magazine Provided Information with photo Article.Now also it presenting periodicaly,along with other historical Factors of Kannada cinema.
Recently,somebody was asking about the vedio record of the Chaluvali.But,he couldont succeeded.If we get some information it will be nice.
Along this creatng new thing,Good movies,Doing Charitable Works who r poor and needy in Film land Makes him Happy i think.Thanks Once Again.
Regarding this great gokak movement, once i saw the videos in either udaya or eetv, from the program crime story or crime diary,which is broadcasted when we lost our Annavru. and in that program they interviewed one couple, they have video recorded each and every place of karnataka, which was visited by Our Annawru. so if some one who is having some good contacts with those channels, can get those couples, and can fulfill the dreams his fans by showing those videos. because even iam tried, and failed to see the videos of that movement.if some one gets and give us (Fans), we will be greatful to him.